Crate for sheet materials



Aug, 1, 1933 c. R. BIRDSE Y CRATE FOR SHEET MATERIALS Filed June 22, '1929 INVENTOR H w R B m m m Fatented Aug. l, 1933' shire!) srarss isms? rarest" or ies Application June 22, 1929. Serial No. 372,825

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a crate for use in shipping sheet materials, and has reference more particularly to a crate for gypsum wallboards suitable for use where abuse in handling is unavoidable such as in export shipments and domestic water transportation.

Gypsum wallboards require protection to keep the surfaces and corners from being marred or broken in shipment. I have tried out various types of wood crates for shipments of these gypsum wallboards, but in the main they have proved to be unsatisfactory and easily broken so that damage to the boards results, unless very expensively -made and an exceptionally heavy crate construction used.

An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a shipping crate which is made of standard structural angles together with other standard parts readily procurable on the open market.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shipping crate for use in export shipments which is collapsible and can be returned to the shipper at low cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide a metal shippingcrate which will protect the edges of gypsum wallboard from damage; also to improve shipping crates in other respects hereinafter specified and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in

which v Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved shipping crate,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, end elevation of one corner of the shipping crate,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation through the crate on the line 3-3 in Figure 1,

and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, sectional, plan view taken through the crate on line 44 of Figure 2.

My improved shipping crate is especially useful in shipping sheet materials of any kind but especially sheets subject to easy'damage in trans it, such as gypsum wallboards or plasterboards, as well as pulp wallboards, veneers, metal sheets, etc., which are generally stacked in face to face relationship in sizeable piles for purposes of transportation. Reference numeral 10 indicates wardly, while with the angle strips 12, one leg or flange 13 of each angle extends inwardly to lie in abutting position along the stack of boards or the like, and the other leg 14 of said angle extends outwardly from the stack. Suitable slots 15 are preferably formed in the angle legs 13 so that sufficient clearance space is provided for engagement with adjacent legs of the angle. strips 11. The angles on each face of the stack are thus grouped together to form a pair of rectangular frames.

Separable angle strips 16 are provided along the perpendicular or stack corners of the pile of sheets, said angle strips being somewhat shorter than the vertical dimension of the pile of sheets when said sheets are loosely piled or in unclamped position, so that space -17 is left between the top of said angle strips 16 and the adjacent leg of angle strip 11. Vertical bolts 18 pass through superjacent square holes in the angle legs 14 and the angle strip 11 adjacent each of the separable angle strips 16, these bolts being preferably two in number at each corner of the stack. These bolts are directed inwardly from each face of the crate and the inner ends are adjustably secured together by means of a turnbuckle 19, so that the boards may be securely clamped together and so that the space 1'7 will be reduced to zero with the top of angle strips 16 resting securely upon the lower faces of the upper legs of angle strips 11. Thus the separable angle strips 16 form'colurns when the crate is clamped together securely, and prevent the crushing of such sheet material as gypsum board or the like when several of the crates are piled one upon the other. The heads 20 of the bolts are preferably rounded so that the loaded crate may be moved freely along the floor or other smooth surface without interference by. the bolts. Where the bolts pass through the angle legs a square section 21 is provided on the bolts to prevent turning of the bolts as the turnbuckles 19 are adjusted.

It should be noted that by clamping the sheets together, they act as a composite unit, instead of individually, as a means to resist deflection from rough handling, and in combination with the cratemembers make the. whole unitstiff and rigid. All corners of the sheets are protected from damage during shipment. In actual practice I have found that as much as 4400 pounds of material such as gypsum wallboard may be shipped in a=single crate because of the great strength thereof. The crate is easily collapsible after it has reached its destination and packs into a small space so that it can be returned to the shipper at a very, low cost, for shipment .and handling charges. Standard structural steel shapes are preferably used throughout for the construction of the crate, making its cost of construction very low, but it is understood of course that special shapes may be used. While the parts of the crates are preferably made of steel, certain parts may be made of aluminum or other light weight metal with very good results.

I would state in conclusion, that while the illustrated example constitutes a-practical embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself precisely to these details, since manifestly, the same may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:-

1; In a shipping crate, in combination with a stack of sheet material in face to face, abutting position, of angle strips extending across the cbrners of opposite faces of said stack of material, bolt means for compressing said angle strips together in pairs, and secondary unconnected angle strips extending vertically along the stack corners of said material between the first mentioned angle strips so as to limit the compression of said first angle strips.

2. In a shipping crate a pair of frame members for engaging opposite faces of a stack of sheet material, connecting means between said framemembers adapted to draw said frame members together and thus compress the sheet material, and separable, crate, protecting, metallic angles engaging the inside of said frame members and the outside of the stack corners of said stack of material, said metallic angles being unconnected to said frame members but serving to limit their approach one to the other and thus the compression to which the stack may be subjected.

3. In a shipping crate. in combination with a stack of sheet material, metallic frame members of standard structural shapes, said members extending along the corners of said stack for.the protection thereof. the members along all the corners of one dimension of said stack having portions extending beyond the limits of the stack, the members adjacent the corners of said stack transversely of said last mentioned members engaging said extending portions, and compression bolts passing through said extending portions and the members engaging said portions for compressing said sheet material, said bolts being the sole means of connecting the members one to the other.

4. In a shipping crate, the combination with a stack of sheet material, of angle strips arranged in the form of a pair of rectangular frames engaging the opposite faces of said stack, a pair of said angle strips on opposite sides of each frame having a slot adjacent their ends engaging with an inturned flange of the remaining pairs of angle strips, said remaining angle strips having portions extending beyond said stack of material, one of the flanges of said slot ted strips engaging the extending portions ofsaid remaining strips, and adjustable means passing through said extending portions and the engaging flanges of the slotted strips and adapted to draw said frames together and compress said stack of material.

5. In a shipping crate, the combination with a stack of sheet material, of angle strips arranged in the form of a pair of rectangularv frames engaging the opposite faces of said stack, a pair of said angle strips on opposite sides of each frame having a slot adjacent their ends engaging with an intumed flange of the remain- .ing pairgof angle strips, said remaining angle" strips having portions extending beyond said stack of materiaL-one of the flanges of said slotted strips engaging the extending portions of said remaining strips, adjustable means passing through said extending portions and the engaging flanges of the slotted strips and adapted to draw said frames together and compress said stack of material, and column members adjacent said stack and extending between said frames, said column members limiting the approach of said frame members one to the other and thereby limiting the compression of the stack.

6. In a shipping crate, the combination with a stack of sheet material, of angle strips arranged in the form of a pair of rectangular frames engaging the opposite faces of said stack. a pair of said angle strips on opposite sides of each frame having a slot adjacent their ends engaging with an inturned flange of tne remain" ing pairs of angle strips, said remaining angle strips having portions extending beyond said stack of material, one of the flanges of said slotted strips engaging the extending portions of said remaining strips, adjustable means passing through said extending portions and the engaging flanges of the slotted strips and adapted to draw said frames together and compress said stack of material, and secondary separable angle strips extending along the stack corners between the frames and limiting the compression exerted on said-stack by said frame members.

7. In a crate adapted for transportation of sheet materials, a plurality of angle frame members adapted to engage one fape of a stack, tvn of said members having engagement slots adjacent their ends, said slots engaging over a leg of adjacent members, a leg of said two members overlapping with a leg of said adjacent members, and superjacent holes in said overlapping leg": through which means for securing the parts 01' said crate together are adapted to pass.

8. In a crate adapted for the transportation of sheet materials, longitudinal and transverse angle frame members adapted to engage one face of a stack, a transverse member having a slot in one leg providing space for engagement of a leg of a longitudinal member, said engaging leg of the longitudinal member and the unslotted leg of the transverse member overlapping, and superjacent holes in said overlapping legs through which means for securing the parts of said crate together are adapted to pass.

9. In a knock-down shipping crate adapted for transporting sheet material, angle elements forming a pair of rectangular frames, two of said angle elements forming primary frame members with their flanges extending inwardly, other two angle elements forming secondary frame members and having one of their flanges extending in wardly and one outwardly, the inwardly extending flanges of the secondary members having slots therein engaging a flange ,of, the primary members whereby the outwardly extending flanges of the secondary members engage with said last mentioned flanges of the primary members, separable means extending between said frames within the confines of said angle members and limiting the approach of said frame members one to the other, and adjustable means passing through said engaging flanges of said primary and secondary members and adaptedjto draw said frames together, saidv adjustable meansbeing the sole means for connecting theparts of said crate in assembled form.

CHARLES R. BIRDSEY. 

